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What exactly is Swine Influenza? Learn the facts about the virus that’s catching the
attention of the news media and concerned citizens all over the US from The Center of
Disease Control and Prevention website and share your thoughts.
1.) How should this outbreak be handled?
2.) What can adults and seniors do to prevent exposure?
Please comment below with your opinions!
Image Source:
-New York Times
While you will never get the comforts of home during a hospital stay, being well-prepared with the items you will need for a hospital visit will help make your time in the hospital more tolerable and even comfortable. It is recommended that Dallas elderly with a history of medical problems that require hospital visits keep a packed bag with the items they will need for the hospital. Other seniors can have a family member pick up the items for their time in the hospital on their behalf, although it’s easier if a list is drafted in advance and kept with a close relative or caregiver so essential items are not forgotten in the face of a medical emergency.
Items to include on a packing list for a hospital stay:
1. Copies of important documents - Insurance information, living will, Power of Attorney’s, phone lists and lists of current medications should be stored in an enclosed folder.
2. Clothing - if the hospital allows you to wear your own clothing choose nightgowns or nightshirts, loose fitting undergarments and short sleeved tops so that monitors and intravenous can still be applied easily. A buttoned cardigan or robe can also be worn for extra warmth.
3. Toiletries
4. Eye glasses, hearing aids etc.
5. Prepaid Phone card
6. Pen and paper
7. Books, magazines, knitting and other entertainment
8. Small amount of cash
9. Electronics (cell phones, laptops etc if allowed by hospital)
10. Momentos from home – framed photos or other items can make the hospital feel more like home
Sources:
1. MedicineNet
2. Inventor Spot Beth Hodgson
Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.
Choosing a caregiver for an elderly relative or parent is not a task that anyone can take lightly. While you want to make the best decision to ensure your Dallas senior receives the highest quality of eldercare and remains satisfied with the decision you make for their in-home care, it’s hard to know what to look for in a caregiver. Well, worry no further, because we’re about to tell you about the qualities and skills every Dallas in-home caregiver should have.
1. Experience – the amount of experience a caregiver should have depends on the level of care a senior requires. If a caregiver is strictly there for companionship, they may not need direct eldercare experience, but ensure you check references from previous employers to learn about personality and depedability. If a caregiver will have higher levels of responsibilities, consider looking for a caregiver with more direct experience in eldercare.
2. Commitment – choose a caregiver with a track record of committing to their care recipients. It’s easier on your senior to have just one main caregiver once you find one you like.
3. Emergency Training – While a caregiver doesn’t need a medical background, some level of CPR or first-aid training can be beneficial, so they know how to assist a senior in an emergency while waiting for an ambulance to arrive.
4. Driver’s License – a senior caregiver with a license is a must for running errands, going to appointments, and responding to emergency situations!
5. Good personality – a senior caregiver must be dependable, patient, and demonstrate compassion, but above all; their personality must be a good fit with that of a senior.
Sources:
1. Associated Content
2. AMazines
Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.
With the growth of the senior care industry in Dallas and with many seniors requiring some form of in-home care or assisted living services, it comes as no surprise that almost everyday there seem to be new developments that surround the eldercare business. The best developments in Dallas senior services are those that improve the lives of seniors and ease the stress of caregivers caring for their elderly family members.
1. In-home monitoring systems – Big Brother style monitoring systems allow family members and eldercare professionals to monitor the safety of a senior living independently through motion detectors, cameras, and vital monitoring.
2. Safety gadgets – electronic alert devices and personal alarms allow seniors to call for help when they’re in danger. Many come equipped with GPS for locating.
3. Transportation services – many communities offer free transportation for seniors over a certain age, so they can get around independently.
4. Exercise information and resources – it’s no longer believed that exercise is bad for seniors joints or their hearts when completed safely. Many gyms offer programs that cater to the older demographic.
5. Luxury goods – personal care products, like canes and walkers no longer have a sterile medical feel. Seniors can purchase items that fit their style and personality.
6. Elderlaw – with the number of baby boomers approaching their senior years, Elderlaw is addressing more needs of the elderly with legislation.
7. Gadgets – technologies cater to senior living, can improve their lifestyle and increase independence.
8. Resources for family caregivers – support groups, information sources and other resources are available to help family caregivers learn about senior care and connect with one another.
9. Peer care – caregiving agencies may have older adults on staff to provide care to their peers that might better relate to senior issues, offer companionship and increase a care recipients comfort level.
10. In-home Care – non-medical senior care is widely available through agencies like Home Instead Senior Care, to allow seniors to maintain their independence at home with the assistance they require.
Sources:
1. Eldercare ABC Blog
2. Franchise Prospector
Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.
For many Dallas seniors, arthritis is one of the unfortunate realities of getting older. Fortunately, there are arthritis therapies that can alleviate some of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and the associated pain that seniors experience and tools which can assist with the physical challenges that can occur. Simple arthritic therapies can be incorporated into the daily life of a senior, like an exercise program as recommended by a doctor or therapist; using thermal therapies and ice therapies with ice packs or heating packs to relieve local pain, tension and muscle spasms; and rest using splits or supports, or laying down in bed. An occupational therapist can also help seniors to learn techniques to cope with their arthritis and complete tasks hard on the joint safely.
While Dallas elder care professionals or family caregivers can assist seniors with day-to-day tasks, seniors who live independently at home and suffer from arthritis may benefit from use of assistive devices to help with tasks that are made to difficult by the arthritis like grasping, holding, getting dressed, walking, sitting, standing, climbing stairs, walking and driving. Assistive devices and gadgets are available online from websites like Comfort House, Dynamic Living, and Ableware.
Arthritis may create additional challenges for independent seniors, but with knowledge and understanding, it can be managed without a great impact on a senior’s chosen lifestyle.
Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.
When moving an elderly parent or senior relative into your home so you can provide caregiver assistance, you might be doing it to benefit the level of eldercare they receive, but don’t forget to consider your needs as well as theirs.
In order to allow a senior to have some independence in your home, make sure they have their own personal space, whether a room fully equipped with a TV, bathroom and sleeping quarters; or a basement apartment with their own kitchen, depending upon what’s appropriate for the senior’s capabilities. If you live in a smaller home, ask the senior to contribute that way your family can purchase a larger space that will allow the family and the senior to have the space they need.
Remember, when living with a senior it’s important to provide for their safety in the home. Ensure that furniture in the main areas of the home is arranged to allow ample space for a senior to walk through without tripping, and try to reduce additional clutter. Senior safety devices can also be installed in bathrooms for assistance with mobility, like grab bars, bathtub transfer benches and raised toilet seats. Also keep in mind that while you may have moved your elderly parent in to act as their main caregiver; you deserve a break to, so take advantage of {city} home caregiver services in your area for some respite.
Sources:
1. Ezine Articles
2. Seniormag
Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.
Q1 – How can a senior find a doctor?
A1 – The American Medical Association Doctor Finder is a directory of American doctors that includes their history as medical professionals. Find doctors that are located in your local area, but make the final decision based on other important factors.
Q2 – What else should seniors consider when choosing a doctor?
A2 – It’s important to decide whether a general practitioner or specialist is required based on the elderly person’s medical history. For affordability, a doctor that complies with your health benefits or medical insurance plan should also be chosen; and naturally, you want a doctor that has a great track record.
Q3 – How can you tell if a doctor’s good?
A3 – To understand how well a doctor performs, speak with existing and former patients to learn how patient they are, if they encourage questions, and if they remain respectful. A doctor’s professional history can be reviewed using a number of online directories, including the NCQA Recognized Physician Directory, The American Board of Medical Specialties and The Federal State of Medical Boards.
Sources:
1. Seniors for Living
2. MedicineNet
Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.
In Dallas, a moderate to vigorous exercise program can be safe for seniors of all ages who exercise caution and gather knowledge about safe exercise methods so that the physical activity generates improvement to their health rather than create complications. Before beginning any exercise program, seniors should consider the following exercise tips.
1. Clear it with a doctor – before beginning any exercise program, a doctor can ensure that physical activity will be beneficial to a senior’s health
2. Start easy – if you’re a senior who doesn’t normally exercise regularly, start with light exercise and work yourself up to more vigorous activities
3. Consider your options – would you prefer to exercise at a gym or outside? What options are available close to home? Which options are best considering the climate where you live?
4. Choose safe gear – ensure that you have shoes with proper support, and clothing that is easy to put on and is comfortable to wear during exercise
5. Forget “no pain, no gain” – when you’re young you might want to feel the burn, avoid activities that cause you pain during, or extreme discomfort later; know your limits.
6. Pay attention to your body – if you begin experiencing new health issues or symptoms like chest pain, irregular heartbeat, severe shortness of breath, extreme weight loss, infections, or severe muscle or joint pain, consult a doctor and avoid further activity without medical approval
7. Set goals – short and long term goals will get you to where you want to be
8. Have a buddy – exercise with a friend or a senior care professional to make the physical activity more enjoyable
Sources:
1. SeniorLiving.about
2. Healthy Ontario/ Health Day News
Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.
According to a report by US News and World Report, many common ailments and changes that we naturally affiliate with the aging process, are not in fact normal for everyone and many common aging myths don’t hold as much truth as we like to assume.
1. Extra weight cuts your life short – studies show that carrying a few extra pounds (up to 30lbs) in you senior years may not result in a shortened lifespan after all, provided you are not obese with a BMI over 30. At age 75 an extra 30 lbs can actually be protective of the immune system, staving off other illnesses; proving that carrying a little extra weight isn’t always bad, as we’ve been taught to think.
2. Everyone must prepare for senility – we’ve all heard the expression “old and senile” when discussing older adulthood, but senility doesn’t happen to everyone contrary to the stereotype. Some cognitive decline may occur, but it typically doesn’t compromise a senior’s ability to live independently.
3. Dallas Seniors Shouldn’t Exercise – the belief is that seniors won’t have the energy to exercise, or that it can be harmful. However, seniors who exercise have a lower occurrence of heart problems, and less fatigue.
4. All hearing loss requires a hearing aid – only 35% of seniors require hearing aids; although many seniors do experience some form of hearing loss, many maintain perfect hearing into their later years.
5. Seniors are cranky – while some seniors may experience personality changes due to Alzheimer’s or dementia, or may experience bouts of depression due to their declining health, research proves that our personalities don’t change after age 30. The cranky Dallas seniors you know have probably always been that way.
Sources:
1 US News & World Report
Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.
For many Dallas seniors, remaining independent means living with some or all independence in their own homes, as opposed to being moved into a nursing home or assisted living facility. In order to remain independent at home, seniors need to accept some of the changes of aging and take safety measures so that their independence isn’t further sacrificed.
For many seniors and their families, one of the first steps towards helping seniors maintain independence is to install senior safety equipment around the home to prevent, falls, accidents, and overall make their lives more comfortable. The next positive step towards maintaining the independence of senior’s at home, is to hire a non-medical, in-home senior care agency to provide assisted living services. They can assist seniors in any way necessary, in order to remove the burden of caring for a home, which can become overwhelming and sometimes, physically impossible with age. Professional caregivers can help with cooking, light-housekeeping, running errands, companionship and more, which all make it possible for seniors to remain independently at home later in life.
Senior transportation services, which are offered free by many community organizations across the United States are also available, which allow seniors to get around town independently, even after they’ve had to give up their car keys. Meal delivery services like Meals on Wheels can alleviate the burden of cooking, by bringing hot meals directly to the homes of seniors. Today, getting older doesn’t mean an inevitable sacrifice of independence; Dallas seniors have options that allow them to live as they choose.
Sources:
1. Aging Parents and Eldercare
2. Home Instead Senior Care
Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.
